Washington, D.C. -
Fouls and a tough shooting night proved to be the difference in a 70-45 loss for the Georgetown University women's basketball team in the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament Friday evening at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn. The tenth-seeded Hoyas fell to No. 15 Seton Hall, a squad they had lost to in the regular season finale. GU gave up some big runs in the second half and just couldn't put the ball through the hoop as the team dropped to 17-13 on the season.

The Hoyas started out with something to prove opening the game with an 11-2 run including five points from junior point guard Shanice Fuller (Chesapeake, Va./Indian River). Unfortunately a 7-0 run from the Pirates spanning almost six scoreless minutes for Georgetown allowed Seton Hall right back into the game.

The contest became physical in the closing minutes of the half and Georgetown allowed five SHU made free throws. However, Monica McNutt (Suitland, Md./Academy of the Holy Cross) put together a quick scoring spurt connecting on the layup and one, as well as a three to make the score 25-24 at the break in favor of the Hoyas.

McNutt led GU with eight points and Fuller added seven as seven different players scored in the half. Jaleesa Butler pulled down a team-best four rebounds. GU shot 38.5 percent from the field but was out-rebounded 16-13. The Hoyas committed 11 turnovers and forced 13 on the other end.

Georgetown looked strong to start the second half as Butler scored five points including two field goals in the first three minutes. Struggles were to come, however, as the Hoyas started to miss shots and the foul total began to add up.

After leading by three at 17:26, GU allowed a 13-0 Seton Hall run to span the next seven minutes which included eight fouls and three turnovers by the Hoyas. A free throw by Fuller and layup from Butler gave Georgetown a short reprieve, but the worst was still to come as the Hoyas tried but just couldn't find the bottom of the net.

Looking at an eight-point deficit, GU once again gave up a big run allowing the Pirates to score 15 points including eight free throws while getting just a pair of charity shots from Butler and senior Krystle Hatton (St. Louis, Mo./Hazelwood East).

With five minutes left, the Hoyas trailed by 20 and a pair of free throws from Fuller as well as five late points from freshman point guard Rubylee Wright weren't enough to get GU back in the game as GU fell 70-45 marking the worst Hoya loss in the BIG EAST Tournament since 2001.

Butler and Fuller had 10 points apiece to lead the squad and Butler posted a team-best six rebounds. Georgetown shot just 25.9 percent from the field, 50 percent from the line and committed 32 fouls marking three of the telling stats in the game. The Hoyas were out-rebounded 46-33 and committed 20 turnovers while forcing 21 on the defensive end. Forty-five points was a season-low point total for Georgetown.

The game was the third of the day in which the lower seed won with No. 12 Syracuse and No. 9 Marquette both losing in the first session to make BIG EAST history. Georgetown has been eliminated from the BIG EAST Tournament but still has a chance at a postseason bid. Selections for both the NCAA Tournament and the WNIT will come out by Monday, March 16.